The invention relates to an operating handle for an avalanche rescue system, a functional unit of an avalanche rescue system comprising at least two functional elements which are coupled via a triggering system to an operating handle according to the invention, and an avalanche rescue system.
Many people die every year as a result of avalanches. Persons who engage in sporting activities in unsafe alpine environments are particularly affected. In order to increase the chances of survival of these persons, emergency systems designed to increase the chances of survival have been developed. For example, it is known to provide an inflatable buoyant element, which is similar to an airbag, on an emergency system. A user can trigger the inflation of the buoyant element in order to thereby increase his surface area. As a result, it is possible for the winter sports enthusiast, who has triggered the buoyant element, to move upward in the avalanche and thereby avoid being buried too deep.
It is also known to provide a balloon which is inflated in an emergency and is likewise supposed to float upward, and therefore the buried winter sports enthusiast, who is connected to the balloon, can be found. Such a system is known, for example, from EP 0 931 567 A2. The problem with this system is that, on the one hand, the operating handle for triggering the functional elements (buoyant element and balloon) is disposed in an ergonomically unfavorable manner. A further disadvantage of this system is that a buried winter sports enthusiast can suffocate, since there is no way to ventilate the winter sports enthusiast.